Thursday 20 September 2012

Working in Ottawa today --Slipping off a sliderule

Good morning folks,

I will be working in Ottawa today.  As promised.  Kinda reliable that way aren't I?


Yawn.  I am still a bit on Barcelona time, being already about 3 PM there, I feel like knocking back a sangria and having a bit of a siesta.  Oh well, back to routine.

Hey, before I dive into today's topic (not sure what it is yet) a word on Antoni Gaudi.  Gaudi was a architect working in Spain during the turn of the last century.  He was a foe of the straight line and imbedded paraboloid, hyperboloids and helicoids into his designs as well as incorporated a rich mixture of building materials.

The first structure of his that we saw was the Crypta de la Colònia Güell.  Yeah.  When I looked over the crypt and the varied building materials and the seriously unconventional design I said to Sharlene, "I think ol' Antoni slipped off his sliderule.". But when we went to the Sagrada Familia (still under construction since 1882!) and we looked up from inside at the hyperboloid vault of the main ceiling I was in awe of his brilliance and attention to detail and his ability to make the transformation from unbridled imagination into a reality.   Really quite amazing.

Hmm...  here we are and no topic in sight...

This may be interesting or amusing to you, while swimming in the Mediterranean at Costa Brava I encountered a fluther of jellyfish.  During my attempt to hastily swim backwards away from them I was stung on my foot.  Not really that bad, much like a bunch of bees stinging you but without the buzzing. 

I swam back to the beach, which worked well as the swimming cleaned off any of the strands that invariably are present and continue to sting one's self, to where Sharlene and Daisy (a gal from San Francisco that Sharlene and I met on the bus and shared lunch with us) were sitting.

Both recalled the 'Friends' episode where Monica had been stung by a Jellyfish and Joey stepped up the plate and relieved her suffering by relieving himself on her leg.  However in a act of selfishness, neither offered to perform the same act on my foot.

Just as well,  it would have changed the whole relationship.  I'm sure it would be hard to look at a person the same way after they pee on your foot.  In the end, I just manned up and walked it off.

Have a good day --a special shutout to Christine, Happy Birthday!

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